Sasakawa USA Newsletter June 30, 2020
Included in this issue of the newsletter:

  • Message from Sasakawa USA's Chairman, Satohiro Akimoto
Activities
  • Policy Briefing: Pacific Trident III Tabletop Exercise Report featuring ADM Dennis Blair (Ret.)
  • Speaker Series: Japan-U.S. Public Diplomacy, A Farewell for Min. Shimada
  • Congressional Study Group on Japan: Maintaining Bilateral Relations featuring Min. Kono & Rep. DeGette  
Publications
  • Commentary and Analysis: The Strengths and Weaknesses of the US Alliance System Under Gray Zone Operations (Hemmings)
  • Report: Japan-U.S. Public Diplomacy, Built on Mutual Trust and Shared Values (Shimada)
  • A Vision for Post COVID-19 U.S.-Japan Relations: My Vision for the Japan-U.S. Alliance After COVID-19 (Iwasaki)
  • Commentary in the Japan Times: How the U.S. and its Allies Should Prepare for the Post COVID-19 World (Akimoto)
  • Japan Political Pulse: Prime Minister Abe’s Early Departure? (Akimoto)
Announcements
  • New Board Member: Dr. Atsushi Sunami
  • USJETAA: 5th Year Anniversary Celebration
Message from Sasakawa USA's Chairman, Satohiro Akimoto
I offer my heartfelt sympathy to all those who have been directly affected by COVID-19. It is heartbreaking to see the new surges of infections in some parts of the country.

I have experienced several presidential elections in the U.S. There is something new about this presidential election from the viewpoint of the U.S.-Japan relationship. I have been receiving an increasing number of questions from Japanese friends about Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s possible running mate. This is noteworthy as Japanese people usually almost solely focus on presidential candidates. They don’t pay much attention to vice presidential candidates, unless they are unconventional choices, such as former Republican Candidate John McCain’s running mate, former Governor of Alaska, Sara Palin.

Japanese interest in Biden’s running mates is a good thing from the viewpoint of the future of the U.S.-Japan relationship.

First, if Biden wins in the November election and becomes president, there is a likelihood that his vice president would eventually become the Democratic leading presidential candidate for the 2024 election. After all, 14 presidents out of 48 presidents originally served as vice president. In the postwar period, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush were vice president before they became president. Biden could be the 6th. Furthermore, because of Biden’s advanced age, there is likelihood that his vice president may need to assume the presidency in case Biden is incapacitated with heath reasons during his first term as president.

Second, Biden’s vice president may play a unique role in terms of racial justice, equality, diversity and harmony in the context of protests symbolized by the Black Lives Matter movement. The U.S. seems to have begun fundamentally addressing racial inequality and race relations. This is evident in the fact that peaceful demonstrators against police brutality of African Americans and racial injustice consist of different races, ethnicities, generations, economic classes, and political parties.

Third, as Senator Amy Klobuchar bowed out from the selection process and urged him to select a candidate of color, the odds are higher that Biden chooses a vice president from the pool of African American and Asian female candidates. Japanese people, just like people from other G7 countries, have largely dealt with “white America” in politics, business, military and society reflecting the fact that many of the leadership positions in the U.S. have been occupied by white Americans.

It is a good thing for Japanese to be more interested in Biden’s vice presidential candidates as it will not only help them build relationships with the eventual vice president, if Biden wins, but also help them understand the fundamental social changes taking place in the U.S. The broader the base of the bilateral relationship, the stronger the diplomatic relationship and alliance between the U.S. and Japan.

As we move into the 4 th of July weekend, I wish you all a safe and enjoyable socially-distanced celebration during this time of COVID-19. 
Activities
Policy Briefing: Pacific Trident III Tabletop Exercise Report featuring ADM Dennis Blair (Ret.)
On June 16th, Sasakawa USA held an on-the-record, invitation-only briefing on the findings and recommendations from our recent tabletop exercise (TTX), Pacific Trident III . The virtual discussion was moderated by ADM Dennis Blair (Ret.) and featured remarks by RADM Michael McDevitt (Ret.), Ms. Kelly Magsamen of Center for American Progress, and Mr. Nobukatsu Kanehara of Doshisha University. The briefing covered an overview of the exercise, the report’s main findings, perspectives from both the Japan and USA Teams, as well as insights from other TTX participants. The webinar also included a moderated Q&A in which attendees were able to ask questions to both the panelists and other TTX participants in the audience. A full recap and video of the event can be found here .
Speaker Series: Japan-U.S. Public Diplomacy, A Farewell for Min. Shimada
On June 15th, Sasakawa USA held a virtual farewell to honor Minister Takehiro Shimada just prior to his departure from his post as Minister for Communications and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. Reflecting on his two tours at the Embassy in Washington, he expressed optimism for the future of U.S.-Japan relations, but noted that although the garden that is U.S.-Japan relations is in full bloom, we must continue to pursue unrelenting efforts in tending to the garden to maintain it’s bounty and beauty. Throughout his reflections and the discussion that followed, Minister Shimada promoted the importance of educating and preparing the next generation, who will ultimately shoulder the responsibilities involved in supporting and strengthening the alliance. Several distinguished guests also provided farewell remarks to Minister Shimada, including Peter Kelley, President of the National Association of Japan-America Societies; Jim Heller, Director, Office of Japan Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Paige Cottingham-Streater, Executive Director, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission; Diana Mayhew, President, National Cherry Blossom Festival; Ryan Shaffer, President, Japan-America Society of Washington, DC; and Bahia Simons-Lane, Executive Director, USJETAA. We at Sasakawa USA and others in the U.S.-Japan community are sad to see Minister Shimada go, but look forward to continued partnership with him in his new post.
Congressional Study Group on Japan: Maintaining Bilateral Relations featuring Min. Kono & Rep. DeGette
The Hon. Taro Kono, Defense Minister of Japan, participated in a discussion via Webex with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and the Hon. Charles Boustany (R-LA, 2005-2017), M.D. regarding the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance. During this off-the-record discussion, the speakers discussed the U.S. and Japanese response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, trade, energy, and the future of U.S.-Japan relations. Rep. DeGette is currently serving as the Democratic Co-Chair of the Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC)'s Congressional Study Group on Japan (CSGJ), a program supported by Sasakawa USA. She was a member of the most recent CSGJ trip to Japan in February. The speakers reflected on the importance of CSGJ in deepening the relationship between the U.S. and Japan by providing lawmakers from both sides the opportunity to discuss relevant topics with high level individuals. Sasakawa USA appreciates the cooperation and partnership of the FMC in putting on this event and looks forward to continuing our partnership.
 
Publications
Commentary and Analysis: The Strengths and Weaknesses of the US Alliance System Under Gray Zone Operations (Hemmings)
In his new article , Dr. John Hemmings of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) presents the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. alliance system under gray zone operations simulated by Pacific Trident III, the tabletop exercise hosted by Sasakawa USA earlier this year. From this, Dr. Hemmings offers his commentary on the various policy recommendations garnered from the exercise, applauding the realistic, specific, and out-of-the-box recommendations created by the exercise’s participants. The paper was published this month to accompany our public debriefing of the exercise.

Photo: Dr. John Hemmings, Official DKI APCSS Photo
Report: Japan-U.S. Public Diplomacy, Built on Mutual Trust and Shared Values (Shimada)
Prior to departing from his position as Minister for Communications and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC, Minister Takehiro Shimada authored Japan-U.S. Public Diplomacy: Built on Mutual Trust and Shared Values for Sasakawa USA. He described in detail what has been done to benefit the Japan-U.S. relationship including relations between the two countries' leaders, assistance initiatives, public diplomacy efforts, and optimism for the future. In conclusion, Minister Shimada notes that although the Japan-U.S. relationship is better than ever, it should not be taken for granted. He notes that as we continue to look to the future, we must actively engage in supporting the young people who will eventually lead the two nations.  
A Vision for Post COVID-19 U.S.-Japan Relations: My Vision for the Japan-U.S. Alliance After COVID-19 (Iwasaki)
General Shigeru Iwasaki, the 4 th  Chief of Staff, the Joint Staff of Japan Self-Defense Forces, casts a light on the origin of COVID-19 and different responses to the crisis around the world. He stresses the importance of having a national security viewpoint in dealing with the pandemic, particularly for democracies. He argues the centrality of the Japan-U.S. Alliance in the Asia Pacific region and warns the COVID-19 crisis may lead to the deterioration of coordination and defense capabilities among the United States and its allies. Finally, he makes several recommendations to the Japan-U.S. alliance in the areas of early warning and surveillance, threat analysis, sharing critical information, crisis management, and joint support to Taiwan, while managing the relationship with China.
Commentary in the Japan Times: How the U.S. and its Allies Should Prepare for the Post COVID-19 World (Akimoto)
As countries try to reopen their economies from the COVID-19-induced lockdown with tremendous difficulty, many intuitively sense that the post-COVID-19 world would be fundamentally different. Futuristic thinkers like Yuval Noah Harari and Jacques Attali talk about the importance of democracy, internationalism, altruism and “life industries.” In his commentary from The Japan Times, " How the U.S. and its allies should prepare for the post-COVID-19 world, " Sasakawa USA Chairman Satohiro Akimoto discusses the COVID-19 as an opportunity for democracies led by the U.S. and its allies to construct a joint approach to China based on shared values. He also proposes to strengthen international institutions and bring China in for solutions to global issues such as pandemics and climate change.

Photo source: DIMITAR DILKOFF  / Contributor via Getty Images
Japan Political Pulse: Prime Minister Abe’s Early Departure? (Akimoto)
In the latest Japan Political Pulse piece " Prime Minister Abe’s Early Departure? Not so Fast. ," Chairman of Sasakawa USA Satohiro Akimoto analyzes emerging speculation that the arrest of Katsuyuki Kawai, former Justice Minister appointed by Prime Minister Abe, and his wife Anri Kawai, member of the Upper House, for alleged vote buying may lead to an early departure of the Prime Minister. On top of the arrest of the couple, Prime Minister Abe certainly seems to be having difficulties over the COVID-19 crisis, the botched effort to appoint a political ally to be the next Prosecutor-General, and depressed economic activities. Dr. Akimoto argues that an early exit by Abe is unlikely at this time because of uncertainty over his succession plan, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. presidential election, and the Olympics Games next summer. The next big clue to watch for is Abe’s appointment of Secretary-General of the party in September.  

Announcements
New Board Member: Dr. Atsushi Sunami
Dr. Atsushi Sunami, who became President of Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) on June 24, 2020, also became a member of the Sasakawa USA board on the same date. Mr. Sunami has been the Executive Director (Programs) of SPF, overseeing the Ocean Policy Research Institute among other programs. Prior to SPF, he was Vice President and Professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). His area of expertise is Science and Technology Policy and Science and Technology Diplomacy. He served as Special Advisor, Cabinet Office responsible for Science and Technology and Innovation from 2015 to 2018. He holds a BSFS from Georgetown University and MIA and PhD in political science from Columbia University.
USJETAA: 5th Year Anniversary
Last month, Sasakawa USA was proud to celebrate the U.S. JET Alumni Association on their 5 th anniversary, especially as the event also commemorated our five year partnership on our mini-grant program for JETAA chapters and subchapters in the United States . Shanti Shoji, Director for Programs, and Joy Champaloux, Program Officer, recorded a brief congratulatory message which was played during their anniversary virtual event. You can watch the celebration's recording on their YouTube channel . Our message is at the 21:34 mark.
 
Photo source: Matt Gilliam, CLAIR NY
Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
1819 L Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington DC 20026

202.296.6694